Lauren Carp had tried many diets and gyms with varying success and temporary results.

A fifth-grade teacher in the Ferndale School District, many of the 30-year's role models growing up had struggled with poor health and nutrition. Her father had heart issues and a poor diet. Consequently, she grew up overweight and with low self-esteem.

When Carp got engaged last year, she was motivated to look her best on her wedding day.

Lauren Carp of Warren joined the Orangetheory fitness studio before her wedding and lost 30 pounds. Courtesy Orangetheoryfitness.com

studiomanager0489@orangetheoryfitness.com

The Warren resident joined the Troy Orangetheory Fitness studio in January and participated in the Orangetheory Transformation Challenge, a Biggest Loser-type challenge. With that motivation, she lost 30 pounds before her Aug. 4 wedding.

That’s where the story ends for most brides.

But for Lauren, after the wedding was over, her love for the exercise program remained.

“I wanted to keep the weight off and turn my wedding day results into a long-term healthy lifestyle. So far I’ve lost 30 pounds and my body looks fit and strong.”

Carp knows her numbers to help keep her weight off:

• Data from her OTBeat Wearables heart rate monitor, keeps her competitive. She wears a monitor while working out in the studio, and her numbers are displayed on a big screen, where other people can see them. This motivates Carp to keep moving and keep her heart rate up.

• She receives email with all of her stats after the workout, letting her know exactly how many calories she burned during her workout. For example, if she makes it into the Orange Zone, which is a heart rate number based on her gender, height and weight, and can achieve Orange Zone for 12 minutes of a 60-minute workout, she will burn extra calories for up to 36 hours. Lauren uses that information to plan her meals and snacks for each day.

• Regular weigh-ins keep her focused and on track with her diet.

On weekends when she's not going to the studio, she runs with her husband and three large rescue dogs.

Lauren recently moved her membership to the newly opened Royal Oak Orangetheory studio. It has a new Beauty Bar, which allows her after a morning workout to get cleaned up and go straight to work.

“Looking and feeling beautiful on your wedding day is one of the most powerful motivators. But Lauren’s commitment to keep it off is a true inspiration,” he says.

She's been so inspired to improve her own health that she now runs an after-school healthy cooking club for third- through fifth-graders. She eats a plant-based diet and says she feels her health has improved.

"The data is what really drives and motivates me," Carp says. "I love the immediate feedback, seeing my zone change the harder I work. When I first started working out at OTF, my all-out was a 6.0 and now my Base Pace is a 6.0! I have seen my fitness and strength increase since I started. It’s really amazing to have staff and coaches that know my name and are able to encourage me to give my best at every workout. ... I genuinely look forward to working out every day."